? This is just the beginning. Europe is next… The Christians r next… ⚠️ Warning: Graphic Content. ✅ Eng sub#AINewsIL #Illegalimmigration #StopTheBoats #October7massacre #TheWestIsNext #BringThemHomeNow ?️ #StandWithIsrael pic.twitter.com/obfZF69Xnv — Rubi Yona ??? רובי יונה (@RubiYona) October 9, 2024

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Those of us who drink alcohol have likely found ourselves in a situation at some point where we wake up from a fun night that involved a few too many beverages and are stuck with the dreaded hangover—headaches, nausea, and a general sense of regret. While some people opt for fried food or more alcohol, neither option is ideal. Fortunately, there are healthier, more effective methods for speeding up your recovery. Registered dietitian Bianca Tamburello, RDN, of FRESH Communications, offers her professional advice on the best hangover foods and drinks to help you feel better quickly. Why do hangovers happen? Before getting into what you should eat and drink, it’s crucial to understand why hangovers are so severe. “Drinking alcohol can cause dehydration quickly because it acts as a diuretic, triggering the body to flush out fluids and important electrolytes,” Tamburello reveals. This dehydration, along with electrolyte imbalances and low blood sugar, causes the usual hangover symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, and nausea. So, what can you do to battle these symptoms? Tamburello suggests focusing on foods and beverages that rehydrate and replenish your electrolytes. These are her top tips. 1. Stay hydrated with water and electrolyte drinks It may seem obvious, but drinking water is vital for recovering from a hangover. Alcohol causes dehydration in the body, and the quickest method to recover is to replenish lost fluids. However, water alone may not be enough to restore balance.  “Electrolyte-rich drinks like sports drinks and Pedialyte are common hangover remedies that actually work,” Tamburello explains. These drinks contain electrolytes such as potassium and salt, which aid with fluid retention, blood pressure regulation, and boosting low blood sugar levels, which are common during a hangover. Whether you drink them the night before or the morning after, they are an effective way to feel better. 2. Snack on hydrating fruits for a natural boost Drinks are not the only way to rehydrate. Eating hydrating fruits can also help restore balance.  “Fruits like oranges and watermelon provide hydration, electrolytes, and natural sugars to help recover from hangover symptoms,” she says. Oranges are an especially good choice because they contain vitamin C, which strengthens the immune system and helps you feel better faster. So, grab a fruit salad or fresh juice to start your day on the right foot. 3. Bone broth and soup: comfort food that works Warm and nourishing dishes, such as soups and broths, are always soothing when you’re feeling sick. But they also play an important role in hangover recovery. “Bone broth provides important fluids and is packed with vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes—including potassium, calcium, sodium, and magnesium,” Tamburello explains. Even if you don’t have bone broth on hand, regular soups will help. Look for soups with rice or noodles, which are easier to digest and can help you control your blood sugar levels. In addition, the warmth of the soup might help calm an irritable stomach, reducing nausea and pain. 4. Get your nutrients with salmon Salmon may not be your first craving when you have a hangover, but it is one of the most nutrient-dense foods to include in your recovery regimen. Alcohol not only dehydrates but also depletes essential vitamins, particularly B vitamins. “Salmon is a balanced and tasty food following a hangover because it offers up vitamin B6 and B12, which regulates regular body functions,” Tamburello says. Salmon is also a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which help to prevent inflammation in the body, particularly inflammation caused by alcohol consumption. To maximize the benefits, Tamburello recommends Chilean salmon, which has higher omega-3 content. 5. Keep it simple with bananas, rice, and toast When you’re feeling nauseated, bland, easy-to-digest foods may be the best option. Tamburello recommends the basic BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast), which is easy on the stomach while providing necessary nutrients. “Bland foods like bananas, rice, and toast taste mild and are easy for the body to digest,” she adds. Bananas, in particular, are a go-to for hangover recovery because they contain potassium, an electrolyte that is frequently depleted after alcohol consumption. These simple foods will soothe your tummy and keep you on the recovery fast track. What to avoid: The grease trap While it’s tempting to eat fatty fast food to “soak up the alcohol,” Tamburello advises against it. “Feeling slightly less hungover after eating greasy food and a hydrating beverage is probably due to improved blood sugar and fluid levels,” she says. In actuality, eating high-fat, processed foods can irritate your stomach and worsen your hangover in the long run. Instead, choose nutrient-dense, easy-to-digest options like the ones listed above. Recovery done right In the end, the greatest hangover treatments are those that hydrate, replace electrolytes, and supply critical nutrients. Water, electrolyte drinks, hydrating fruits, bone broth, salmon, and simple foods like bananas and toast will help you feel better sooner without exacerbating your discomfort. So, the next time you wake up regretting those extra cocktails, skip the greasy breakfast and reach for something that will actually help you recuperate. Your body—and your mind—will thank you.The post Expert-approved foods and drinks to get rid of a hangover quickly first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM A historic finding beneath South Africa’s Bushveld Igneous Complex uncovered bacteria that have lived for two billion years, 1.9 billion years longer than previous records. Sealed in rock fissures almost 50 feet underground, these microbes provide vital clues to early life on Earth. Yohey Suzuki, the lead researcher, noted that the microbes were discovered in a stable habitat, implying that microbial life has been preserved for countless generations. A major finding in ancient life Scientists at the University of Tokyo made a surprising discovery, unearthing the world’s earliest known microbial life. The microbes, encased in two-billion-year-old rock beneath the Earth’s surface, challenge previous assumptions about the age and endurance of life on our planet. “We didn’t know if two billion-year-old rocks were habitable… so this is a very exciting discovery,” said Yohey Suzuki, the lead author of the study, published in Microbial Ecology. The rock sample, collected from South Africa’s Bushveld Igneous Complex (BIC), has been untouched for billions of years, preserving the microscopic species therein. This discovery outdates prior records of ancient microbial life by about 1.9 billion years, providing a unique look at life on Earth during its earliest evolutionary stages. How have these microbes survived for so long? The BIC, famed for its huge concentrations of platinum and other ores, is a stable, untouched formation that emerged as volcanic magma slowly cooled beneath the Earth’s surface. The region’s mineral-rich environment, combined with natural fissures in the rock, created excellent circumstances for microbial life to be trapped and maintained. These microorganisms lived in tightly packed regions within the fissures, where clay deposits sealed the cracks and escaped contamination. This singular environment enabled the organisms to sustain themselves at a glacial pace, with little to no evolutionary changes. Suzuki and his team employed modern imaging techniques—electron microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, and infrared spectroscopy—to establish that the bacteria were not pollutants but truly ancient. Implications for life beyond Earth While the discovery gives information on ancient life on Earth, it has far-reaching consequences for the quest for life on other planets, particularly Mars. NASA’s Mars rover Perseverance is presently investigating rocks of the same age as those that retained these ancient bacteria. Suzuki expects that the strategies used in this study will help guide future findings of life on Mars. “Finding microbial life in samples from Earth… makes me excited for what we might be able to now find in samples from Mars,” Suzuki noted. An invigorated look into Earth’s evolution This discovery is not only a scientific milestone for understanding early life, but it also advances the study of astrobiology. As researchers continue to analyze these ancient microorganisms they hope to learn more about life on Earth billions of years ago. Studying these species can help scientists better understand the conditions that permitted life to thrive in the past and guide future findings on other planets. The discovery of two billion-year-old bacteria provides a remarkable peek into Earth’s biological history and opens up new possibilities for future interplanetary exploration. As scientists continue to push the frontiers of what we know about ancient life, this discovery represents a big step forward in our understanding of both the Earth’s past and the possibility of life elsewhere. Source study: Microbial Ecology— Subsurface microbial colonization at mineral-filled veins in 2-billion-year-old mafic rock from the Bushveld Igneous Complex, South AfricaThe post Oldest living microbes discovered in 2-billion-year-old rock give a glimpse into Earth’s early life first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

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On a typical Saturday morning, I’m sitting at my kitchen table surrounded by our school books and planning our upcoming week. To an outsider, I might need to seek help for a book addiction. Such is the life of a classical, Charlotte Mason educator. There are a lot of books.Planning our days, prioritizing what needs to be done and when is something that gives me great joy — now. I hate being asked about socialization. It assumes that my children live in a cave, 50 miles from any other human besides their immediate family.It has taken a while to get here, though. Finding a rhythm to the school part of our days, balancing school work with the rest of running a home, and knowing when we all need to take a break and go do something social has taken a few years to systematize. It’s also taken a major adjustment of my own priorities, which was painful but necessary for our success as a homeschooling family.A wise person once told me that you can’t plant a seed, then go uncover it every day to see how it’s progressing and expect any kind of success. In other words, when you play the long game, it takes a tremendous amount of faith to believe that what you are doing is actually working, even when you aren’t seeing immediate results.To increase your faith in your abilities as a homeschooler, you need a plan.Here’s what works for our family and for me as a person.Prioritize school timeYou have to make school time a priority or your kids won’t.If you want your children to feel a sense of rhythm to their days, you need to set the tone. This is not to say they’ll gleefully go along with everything all the time, but they’ll know that the expectation is firm. When the time for school comes, and you call everyone to order, they’ll know that you mean it. Some moms do this by playing a certain song that signals school is beginning. I don’t have a special song, but my kids do know that at 8:30 every morning, they can expect me to call them to our kitchen table for school time.In order for your kids to be ready, you have to be ready yourself and know what the plan is. You need to know what you’re covering that day.I use a free online planning software called Planboard from chalk.com. I plan one week at a time for my 5th grade and kindergarten students. I have plenty of toddler-friendly activities for my 3-year-old who listens to all the stories but isn’t yet old enough to have her own assigned activities. There are certain toys that only get played with during school time. They are in a specific location in our house, and we rotate through them as the day progresses.Having set plans for the day lets my children know that I am serious about the expectation that school is happening and that we have goals to accomplish. I keep my lessons short and age appropriate for each child. I push them when they are being lazy, but I also know the signs of them being done for the day. If I’ve overplanned, which does happen sometimes, we can add that to the next day. I leave some wiggle room in the schedule for just such occasions.Don’t try to do everything at onceWe live in a world that glorifies multitasking. For many people, it’s become a way of life to try and do four or five things at once. I think this is a dangerous practice that leads to anxiety and poor outcomes.As a mom, teacher, and homemaker, I know how overwhelming it can be to have dishes in the sink that need attention, a bill that needs to be paid, and a roast that needs to go in the crockpot, all while you’re trying to read Aesop’s Fables to your kids.The solution to this is simple. Be present where you are. The dishes in the sink will be fine until school time is finished. If it’s time to fold laundry, then fold the laundry and don’t worry about the math lesson you didn’t finish. Don’t overburden yourself or your children by dividing your attention between multiple activities at once.If you get out behind and there are home things that really need your attention, then take care of them before you start school. Starting school a few minutes later than the time you set isn’t the end of the world.Involve your childIt’s tempting to underestimate children. We want to make sure the lessons are really sinking in, and therefore, we end up doing the academic heavy lifting. This is wrong. You can’t actually learn something for your child. You have to let them do that for themselves. Set your expectations accordingly.One area that I have struggled with in this regard is reading. I suspect my oldest child is dyslexic, so learning to read has been an arduous process.Until recently, I was doing too many of the readings during school time. As a result, my son was becoming disengaged. He couldn’t remember anything for a narration after reading.I decided over the summer that for the current school year, we would try something new. I bought two copies of each of our books for the year, one for each of us. He follows along while I read, and then he takes his own turn. There has been an instant turn around in his ability to tell me what he learned after each reading, and he is taking charge by just opening the books and starting to read without me even asking him.Learning doesn’t just involve books, either. Involve your children in the process of keeping a clean home. Give them chores to do. They need practical life skills, and while they may grumble, they need a sense of purpose and feeling like they are part of the family “team.” This is as educational as any academic subject and one of the greatest benefits to homeschooling.Balance social time with school timeI hate being asked about socialization. It assumes that my children live in a cave, 50 miles from any other human besides their immediate family.But there is a small, small kernel of truth to consider in that dreaded conversation: How will your child have opportunities to play with other children?Homeschool co-ops are groups that meet once or twice a week to provide a variety of activities for homeschool families. Some are academic, while others are mainly enrichment. They come in all sizes and varieties, and more are forming all the time. We live in rural Tennessee, and there are at least five different co-op groups within driving distance of us. I would bet that there are some near you, too. Facebook is the best place to find these groups.Local libraries often have homeschool meetups as well. The library in our town hosts a weekly game day and a LEGO group.Our church has an abundance of homeschool families, and there’s a weekly activity at church for those families. If your church has a lot of homeschool families, this is a great opportunity for you to secure play time for your kids.Don’t sign up for everythingA word of caution, though. I could have my kids in an outside-the-home activity every day if I wanted to do that. This is not what I want for us, though. We are in a period of change this year, having two children officially enrolled in school, and because of this, we have stepped away from the co-op we were involved in for the last five years. It was not an easy decision, but it was the right thing to do for us. I was feeling stretched too thin because one entire day of the week was taken up by the co-op. If you are finding yourself frayed by the commitments you have outside of your house, do not hesitate to step away. You owe it to yourself and your kids to learn how to recognize when you are doing too much.Know your long-term goalsThe goal of education, for me, is not to make sure my kids know everything by the time they are grown but rather that they know how to learn something, and they don’t hate the process of learning. I want my children to be autonomous, sovereign citizens and lifelong learners. I want them all to know how to run a house, think for themselves, and love God. If I can accomplish that, then I will consider my life well-lived.

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